The blog article says that "the Gulf Stream begins to break apart approximately 250 miles from the Outer Banks of North Carolina."
Yes, there is a lot of variability, a look at the archived images demonstrates that.
The Florida Current is fast, deep, and narrow, but after passing Cape Hatteras the Gulf Stream becomes less effective at depth and develops a series of large meanders which form, detach, and re-form in a complicated manner. After passing the Grand Banks (off Newfoundland), the flow forms the diffuse, shallow, broad slow-moving North Atlantic Drift.
www.weatheronline.co.uk...
The blog article says that the NADC "no longer exists". It says that the "latest satellite data" establishes this. The NADC is a very slow and widespread flow which carries warmer water northward. It is not driven by the Gulf Stream, it is driven by tradewinds and the sinking of cold water in the North Atlantic. It's interesting that the blog provides none of that "latest satellite data" but the sea surface temperature charts show that the NADC is doing just fine; carrying warmer water well into the North Atlantic.
www.oceanweather.com...
[edit on 9/6/2010 by Phage]
